


Confessions

by teenagefevers



Category: The Good Doctor (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-28
Updated: 2020-03-28
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:08:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,298
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23362984
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teenagefevers/pseuds/teenagefevers
Summary: Earthquake aftermath. Neil's hurt, and Claire's concerned. Feelings are shared.
Relationships: Claire Browne/Neil Melendez
Comments: 12
Kudos: 80





	Confessions

**Author's Note:**

> Just something quick I wrote based on the 3x20 promos. Enjoy! :)

Claire's stomach had dropped just as Neil had seconds before. In that moment, all she could hear was the sound of her own heart beating out of her chest. She stared in shock as she leaned over his unconscious body, waiting for the EMTs to bring the oxygen over. As they lifted him onto the stretcher, she stayed right by his side, following them into the ambulance. She took her safety helmet off and placed it down on the seat next to her, laying her head in her hands. An overwhelming sense of guilt washed over her, as she realized she shouldn't have listened to him when he told her he was fine.

A few minutes had passed before she heard him stir. "Claire?"

She quickly looked up in response, finding a very confused and disoriented Neil lying on the stretcher. She found solace in his dark brown eyes that were now adjusting to the light. As he lifted his head, she put a hand on his shoulder to gently lay him back down. "What happened?" He inquired, still quite groggy from the incident.

"You blacked out," she stated matter-of-factly. She paused for what seemed like forever before the next words reluctantly came out of her mouth. "It's my fault...I shouldn't have let you stay at the pub while you were injured. I should've known--" He quickly cut her off before she could express the guilt she felt any further.

"Claire, it's not your fault. You know I would've stayed no matter what you said," he murmured, trying to reassure her. She nodded and looked down at her lap, avoiding eye contact with him. She had to be professional. She knew she couldn't reveal just how much she cared about him, but she was scared. Terrified, in fact.

What if he doesn't make it? What if she loses the only person in her life who _truly_ matters, after just realizing how much he really does matter to her?

She took another shaky breath before looking up once again. He was watching her every move, trying to figure out what was on her mind. Even during all this turmoil, she still looked as beautiful as ever. He mentally scolded himself for thinking that. 

As they stared into each other's eyes, no words were spoken...but no words had to be. Their eyes spoke louder than anything that could've come out of their mouths--it had always been that way.

Before they knew it, the doors of the ambulance opened, and they immediately broke eye contact. Neil was quickly taken out of the truck and into the hospital, with Claire in tow. As they made their way down the long hallway, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to reassure herself that everything would be okay.

That _he_ would be okay. 

\--

Around an hour later, Claire was in the MRI room, performing a CT scan on Neil to assess for any injuries or internal bleeding. She sighed as she waited for the images to load on the screen, resting her chin on top of her hands. 

"Are you alright?" Neil asked, almost as if he could see her worried expression. The question made her snap out of her unsettling thoughts that were quickly beginning to consume her. 

"I'm fine," she replied simply, refusing to share how she was feeling. 

"Claire, you've been distant ever since I woke up in the ambulance," he said, knowing something was wrong. 

"Neil, I'm okay, really," she repeated. "It's just been a rough day." 

Seeing as she clearly didn't want to discuss it, he decided not to push her any further. That's one of the many things she loved about him. Sometimes, silence is more comforting than words, and unlike her colleagues, Neil had always been the one person who provided that for her. She didn't want sympathy, nor did she want to be poked and prodded, and he knew that.

It always brought her back to that night in the stairwell. She was sure he was wondering why that woman felt the need to slap her, as she was sure everyone else was wondering the same. Nonetheless, he didn't probe her for answers. He put his hand on her shoulder and let her cry. He let her get out all of the pain she was feeling internally, but that she suppressed for so long. And as for her, she let him see her in her worst state. And that didn't make her uncomfortable, as it usually would if she revealed her emotions to anyone else. 

For the first time ever, she felt _loved._ And there isn't a greater feeling than the one you've been deprived of your entire life. One that even your own mother could never make you feel. At that point, she knew she couldn't live without him, and that frightened her. 

"So, how'd your date with Dash go?" He inquired, trying to make small talk. Although, he knew that wasn't the only reason he was asking. 

"I uh..." She trailed off. "I broke things off with him."

He was glad she wasn't able to see the relief that spread across his face in that moment. "How come?" 

"I just...I kissed him and I didn't feel anything," she shrugged. "We were trying to make it work despite how weird the situation was, but...I was thinking about what you told me that night. That if he's the right guy, I shouldn't wait for the right time, and...I don't know," she frowned, her eyebrows furrowed. "I don't think he _was_ the right guy." 

Neil wanted to tell her that _he_ was, but refrained from doing so. At the end of the day, he was her boss and it would be inappropriate. But lately, he hadn't been able to hide just how much he cared for her. When he confessed that she made him a better surgeon and a better person, he meant it. It always baffled him how he could learn so much from someone who was 10 years younger than him. But Claire was so much more than a surgeon. She didn't just save people's lives, she cared deeply about every single one of them. About making sure that they were okay--not just physically, but mentally as well. She hated being known as the "soft touch," but it was one of the many things he loved about her. She was the most compassionate person he'd ever met, and the more time he spent around her over the years, the less arrogant he became. 

"You think you made the right decision?"

"Yes." She hated how quickly she answered the question. "If I stayed with him, I'd just be leading him on." 

Claire then turned to the screen to examine the images. Her eyes widened at what she saw, and she began to hear the familiar sound of her heart beat getting louder and louder in her chest. 

\--

"Who's this?" Dr. Lim asked Claire, looking down at the tablet with images from the CT scan. 

"Dr. Melendez," she informed her, trying to come across as apathetic as she could. 

Dr. Lim's facial expression quickly turned into one of worry. "Do we know what caused this?" 

"A large beam fell on his side during the earthquake." 

"This injury could be fatal." 

Claire nodded. "He needs to go into surgery as soon as possible."

"L-Let's go tell him," she tried to say firmly, but stuttered. 

As they walked into the room, his eyes immediately fell on Claire. "What'd you find?" He asked. 

She took a deep breath. "You have a severe intra-abdominal hemorrhage...you could die on the operating table." 

An emotion flashed across his face that she'd never seen before--it was _fear._ She felt her eyes begin to water, and quickly looked at Dr. Lim to explain the situation further before any tears fell. 

A few minutes later, she asked Claire to leave the room, as she needed to speak with Neil in private. She nodded in response, quickly walking over to the locker room, and making sure it was empty before sitting down on the bench. Everything she had felt all night--the fear and the guilt--it finally came crashing down on her like a tidal wave, as the tears streamed down her face. She loved him. _God_ , she loved him so much that it hurt. She knew she had to tell him before it was too late, but she didn't know how. It was easier to tell her therapist.

As she sat there trying to keep her emotions in check, her mind went straight to the day that Dash had asked her out on a date. Neil was sitting on that same bench right beside her. He was there to comfort her and give her advice, as he always had. It'd quickly become something she had grown used to.

_"You deserve to be happy,"_ he said. But he had no idea that it was _him_ who made her the happiest. He had no idea that while he was pushing her to be with Dash, it was _him_ who she wanted to be with. _Him_ who she constantly lit up for. 

After going to the bathroom to wash her face, she went back to the nurse's station, where Nurse Petringa informed her that Neil's parents were in the waiting room. She walked over as fast as possible, finding an older man and a woman sitting in the corner, praying.

"Mr. and Mrs. Melendez? I'm Dr. Browne, I'll be operating on Neil today." They looked up at Claire simultaneously, the woman jumping out of her seat to approach her. Her eyes were red, and there were dried tears on her cheeks. "How is he?" 

"He's okay, he'll be going into surgery soon." 

She nodded, looking down at the silver crucifix necklace in her hands. "Could you please give this to him?"

Claire's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Don't you want to see him before he--"

She cut her off before she could finish the sentence. "We do, but...I don't think he'd want to see us." She looked back at her husband as she said those words, both of their eyes filled with sadness. 

Claire nodded and offered her a smile, gently taking the necklace from her hands. "Then of course I will."

The woman smiled back as the man stood up, preparing to leave. "Wait," she called, beginning to wonder if she'd regret the next words that she told them. 

They both looked at her in curiosity, waiting for her to say something. "This might be inappropriate of me to say but...I love your son," she confessed, her eyes watering yet again. She noticed the visible shock on both of their faces. "And I want you to know that I'll do any and everything I can to make sure he comes out of that operating room alive and well." 

They looked at each other and then back at her, both of their faces lighting up with the brightest smiles she'd ever seen. From those words, they knew for sure that their son would be okay in her hands. They hurried over and enveloped her in a hug, as the woman whispered 'gracias' into her hair. A stray tear cascaded down Claire's face as they finally let go. Before they left, the man said one last thing:

"Tienes nuestra bendición." Although Claire wasn't exactly fluent in Spanish, she took enough classes in school to understand what he said.

_"You have our blessing."_

\--

As she entered the room, she found Neil alone, staring off into space. She knocked on the door to get his attention, and he immediately fixed his gaze onto her. 

"There you are," he smiled softly. "I was beginning to think I wasn't going to see you again." 

The corners of her mouth turned upward in response. "Your um...your parents stopped by."

His smile faded when he heard those words. "Where are they?"

"They're gone," she reassured him. "They said you wouldn't want to see them, but...they wanted me to give this to you." She pulled the necklace out, gently placing it in his open palm. He slowly closed his fingers around it, a small smile appearing on his face again. 

"I assume it has sentimental value," she murmured. 

He nodded, his eyes watering a bit. "It does." He looked away from the necklace and back to Claire, opening his mouth to say something but nothing came out. 

"Neil, there's something I need to tell you," she proclaimed, her voice weak. 

His eyebrows furrowed. "What is it?" 

She sat down on the bed and turned to him with an almost longing look in her eyes. He tilted his head, which he noticed had become a habit of his every time he was around her. 

"I'm..." she started to say, but her voice cracked. She bit her lip, trying to find the courage to say the words she'd wanted to tell him since that night in his office. "I'm in love with you," she confessed, relishing in the way the weight lifted off of her chest as she said it.

His facial expression changed, but she couldn't read him. To avoid the fear that was creeping up on her in that moment, she decided to keep going. "And that scares me," she laughed half-heartedly. "It scares me because you're my boss, and I shouldn't feel this way. It scares me because I've never been in love before or...allowed myself to love someone. But I-I...I needed you to know because if the surgery isn't successful..." 

"Hey," he said softly, taking her hand in his. They looked into each other's eyes, as a lone tear fell down her cheek. "I'm going to be okay." He paused, trying to think of the right thing to say. "You know why?" She waited for him to continue, her lower lip quivering.

"Because the most brilliant woman I know is performing the surgery." 

She grinned through her tears, his grin just as wide. She remembered when he first became her attending, and refused to admit how brilliant she was. Oh, how things have changed.

Their eyes locked, as he slowly brought her hand up to his mouth and gave it a soft kiss. His lips lingered longer than they should've. Seeing her like this, he was able to truly admire all of her exquisite features. Her eyes were the prettiest he'd ever seen--swirling pools of green and brown. He could never get tired of looking at her. 

He reluctantly let go of her hand and she wiped her tears. Just then, they heard a knock at the door, which made them both snap out of the trance they were in.

"Ready to go?" Dr. Lim asked. He nodded in response, offering her a small smile. They both had hoped she didn't witness any of that. 

Claire's face was the last thing he saw before he was put under.

\--

As Claire prepped for surgery, Dr. Lim realized that it was inappropriate of her to comment on her and Neil's questionable relationship at that time. However, against her better judgement, she commented anyway. As Claire stood in front of the sink, sterilizing her hands, Audrey approached her. 

"Dr. Browne," she started. "Is your relationship with Dr. Melendez something that I should be concerned about?" 

Claire instantly looked up at her with a confused expression. "Our relationship?" 

"The anonymous favoritism complaint was what brought it to my attention, but I hadn't noticed something was going on until now."

Claire's first instinct was to lie. She shook her head and laughed under her breath, trying to make her words seem as believable as possible. "Dr. Lim, I'm not sure what you saw but there's absolutely nothing going on." 

"You don't have to lie, Claire. While you tried to do your best at hiding it, I saw your concern for his well-being. Hell, I think you might've been more concerned than I was." She recalled Dr. Browne's watery eyes, as well as the dried tears on her cheeks as they took him into surgery. 

Claire felt her heart begin to race. She knew that she couldn't jeopardize both her and Neil's careers, so she decided to partially tell the truth, if it meant that Dr. Lim would let it go. "I've been...going through a really tough time, and he's been there for me when I need a shoulder to cry on," she stated matter-of-factly. "We might be friends outside of the hospital, but it hasn't affected our work relationship in any way. There's nothing to be concerned about." 

Audrey was shocked to hear this, and didn't appreciate the fact that they were sneaking around. But while she knew that it had to be addressed again in the future, she remembered what Dr. Glassman had told her a few minutes prior. 

_"It's time to stop being a doctor...be a friend."_

So, for now, she let it go, as Claire had hoped she would. "Good," she nodded. "That's all I needed to hear." 

As she exited the room, Claire breathed a sigh of relief, and turned her attention to Neil. It was time to save his life. 

\--

Neil slowly opened his eyes, squinting to adjust to the bright lights. The room was mostly silent, aside from the sound of someone snoring softly to his left. As he looked over, he saw Claire sleeping soundly on the couch, and smiled in adoration. She stayed there all night for him. 

As if on cue, she woke up out of her slumber and almost tripped over herself, as she swiftly made her way to the hospital bed. He chuckled, finding it cute how concerned she was about him.

"Am I in heaven?" he joked. 

"You're okay," she whispered, smiling down at him with a gleam in her eye.

"All thanks to you," he grinned, taking her hand in his own. "I knew you could do it."

"I don't know what I'd do if I lost you," she murmured, frowning at the possibility.

"You'll never lose me, Claire," he replied, as if he was completely certain. As she looked down at their intertwined hands, he spoke once more.

"Do you remember that night you told me what your mom said to you? That no one would ever _truly_ love you except her?"

She lifted her head to look at him and nodded. 

"That wasn't true," he stated, shaking his head. The next words that came out of his mouth were the ones he'd wanted to say for the longest time, but couldn't admit to her or even to himself.

_"I love you, Claire."_

Her face instantly flooded with relief at those four, simple words. She'd never wanted anything more than to know that her feelings were reciprocated. She was happy. The idiotic kind of happiness that she'd wanted to feel forever, but never thought she would.

"So, what now?" She asked.

It was an important question. She _was_ still his resident after all, and neither of them knew how they were going to make a relationship work, let alone if they could even be in one. But in that moment, neither of them cared. 

"I don't know...but we'll figure it out." 

As they gazed into each other's eyes and grinned from ear to ear, Claire knew that she had finally found the one person who would give her the love and support she was missing her whole life. And after two failed attempts, Neil knew that he had found the one person who he would cherish for the rest of his time. They balanced each other out in the most perfect way, and neither of them could imagine a life without the other. 

_Idiots._


End file.
